News

Passenger distraught after cab driver gets racially abused

First published
in News
by Laura Proto, Chief reporter - Richmond and Twickenham

A cab passenger was left "disgusted and outraged" after his driver was subjected to a racist abuse outside Hersham station.

Mark Tindal, 40, of Florence Road, Walton, was picked up from the station by a taxi from Global Cars at about 11.30pm on Saturday, July 12.

He said he noticed the driver seemed nervous when he got into the car and all of the windows were closed.

Soon after they drove away from the station to travel along Molesey Road, three motorcyclists without any lights on allegedly pulled in front of the car, covered their number plates over with their hands and tried to make the taxi stop.

Mr Tindal said the motorcyclists, who he believed were in their late teens, shouted racist remarks, distressing comments and made obscene gestures.

Mr Tindal said: "They were clearly trying to disguise their licence plates because they were putting their hands over them. One of them was spinning his license plate upside down so it was illegible.

"I called the police because of the racial abuse. I don’t want that here. I thought we’d got passed all that in Hersham. I moved out of London to get away from all that."

A Surrey Police spokesman said: "Surrey Police received a report from a member of the public that a taxi driver had been racially abused in Molesey Road, Hersham at some point between 11.30pm on Saturday, July 12, and 12.07am on Sunday, July 13.

"Officers attended the scene and later made contact with the taxi driver who did not wish to report any incident or make any allegation.